Research Assistant

Project Title

Factors Influencing Detention Decisions Under the UK Mental Health Act: A Systematic Review of Section 12 Doctor Practices Post-2007

Project Overview

This project aims to produce a systematic review of empirical—and where relevant, high-quality grey—literature examining the factors influencing Section 12 doctors’ decisions to detain patients under the UK Mental Health Act (MHA). The review will focus on literature published since the 2007 amendments, which significantly altered the legal and clinical framework governing mental health assessments.

The project is led by an independent Section 12-approved doctor (Dr Idris Jinadu / GMC number – 7512873), who will provide overall supervision, guidance, and quality assurance. A Research Assistant (RA) will be appointed to lead the execution of the review, with responsibilities including:

• Conducting literature searches
• Screening studies
• Extracting and analysing data
• Drafting the final manuscript for publication

Research Question

What evidence exists on the factors influencing Section 12 doctors’ decisions to detain patients under the UK Mental Health Act since 2007?

Rationale for 2007 Cut-off

• Introduction of Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs)
• Expansion of professional roles
• Legal refinements that reshaped clinical decision-making

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Academic background in psychology, psychiatry, public health, mental health law, or a related discipline
• Strong attention to detail, time management skills, and the ability to work independently
• Prior experience as the first author on a completed systematic review

Key Responsibilities

The RA will be responsible for the end-to-end execution of the systematic review, including:

• Designing and registering the review protocol (e.g., PROSPERO)
• Developing and executing search strategies (e.g., PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science)
• Screening titles, abstracts, and full texts per defined criteria
• Managing references using software such as EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley
• Extracting and charting data from selected studies
• Conducting risk-of-bias assessments using validated tools
• Synthesising findings and identifying core themes
• Drafting the manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal
• Participating in weekly supervision meetings via MS Teams
• Responding to peer review feedback post-submission

Authorship and Publication

Authorship will be determined in accordance with ICMJE criteria, based on substantial contributions to:

• Study design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation
• Drafting or critical revision of the manuscript
• Final manuscript approval
• Accountability for the integrity of the work

Authorship roles:

• First Author: The RA, reflecting their lead contribution
• Last Author: The Principal Investigator (PI), as senior supervisor
• Corresponding Author: The RA

Remuneration

• 1st September 2025: £300
• 1st October 2025: £400
• 1st November 2025: £500
• 1st December 2025: £600
• 1st January 2026: £700
• Publication Bonus (if accepted by 31st March 2026): £1,000

Bonus is awarded upon acceptance of the manuscript by any peer-reviewed journal, including open-access or student-led outlets. The PI is flexible on journal selection, provided acceptance is documented.

Total Potential Compensation: £3,500

Expenses

The RA will not be expected to incur personal expenses. The PI will cover up to £1,000 in pre-approved research-related costs, including:

• Software licenses
• Inter-library loans
• Database subscriptions
• Article access fees
• Publication fees

Payment Terms and Intellectual Property

• Payments can be made to UK or international bank accounts via secure transfer platforms such as Wise or PayPal. Currency conversion rates apply, but the RA will receive the GBP-equivalent amount, with no transfer fees deducted.
• The PI cannot request a refund for payments already made.
• If the RA withdraws or is withdrawn due to unmet deliverables, the PI retains full rights to use any completed work to continue or publish the review.

Timeline and Commitment

• Total Time Commitment: ~100 hours
• Project Duration: 1st September 2025 – 1st January 2026
• Supervision: Weekly 1-hour virtual meetings via MS Teams

Supervision Structure

The RA will report directly to the PI (a Section 12-approved doctor). Supervision will occur weekly on Fridays (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM UK time), with the exact time agreed at the start and kept consistent throughout the project.

Other Expectations

• Declaration of any conflicts of interest
• Adherence to confidentiality and data protection standards
• Punctual delivery of all project milestones and participation in supervision

Equal Opportunities Statement

This project is committed to equal opportunity and encourages applications from all backgrounds, especially groups historically underrepresented in research. Applications are welcome regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.

Application Process

Please send all application materials as a single PDF via the 'Apply' button (e:idris.jinadu@jinadugroup.com). 

Your application should include:

• A draft protocol for the proposed systematic review
• Evidence of a prior first-author systematic review that has been published (PDF copy)
• A brief list of tools/software used in your prior work (e.g., EndNote, Covidence, Rayyan, RevMan, PRISMA, RoB2, NVivo, CASP, etc.)

Application Window

• Opens: Midnight, 28th July 2025
• Closes: Midnight, 21st August 2025
• Shortlisted Candidates Informed: Before midnight, 22nd August 2025
• Interviews Conducted: 29th August 2025

Deliverables and Milestones

1st September 2025 – £300

• Contract signed
• Payment details confirmed
• Protocol submitted and approved
• First supervision session scheduled (starts 5th September)

1st October 2025 – £400

• Protocol registered on PROSPERO
• Search strategy executed
• Title/abstract screening complete
• PRISMA flowchart drafted

1st November 2025 – £500

• Full-text screening complete
• Data extraction ≥50% completed
• Screening rationale documented

1st December 2025 – £600

• Data extraction completed
• Risk-of-bias assessments completed
• Results and thematic synthesis drafted
• Discussion section under review

1st January 2026 – £700

• Final manuscript formatted and submitted
• Cover letter and author details submitted

31st March 2026 – £1000 Bonus

• Manuscript accepted by a peer-reviewed journal